The Kupwara district’s government schools are in a terrible state, with hundreds of them functioning without drinking water, electricity, or libraries, and many of them using rented buildings, raising concerns regarding the region’s educational standards and student welfare in more ways than one.
The official data paints a sobering picture of the educational system. The official response claims that 127 government schools in the Kupwara district are without electricity, depriving pupils of necessities like fans and lighting.
“There are children between 7 and 10 years of age who go to school amid this scorching heat and only to find themselves getting roasted in concrete ovens being mistaken as classrooms. Nowhere in the entire country have we found such examples of neglect in the education sector,” says Mohammad Hussain Khan, a local resident.
Kashmir is set to witness intense heat waves with temperatures surging with each passing day, breaking decades’ old records.
There are also major health and hygiene issues because 142 schools in Kupwara lack access to tap water. The fact that 79 schools use rented space, which indicates a serious lack of adequate infrastructure, makes the situation even worse. The most concerning, though, is that 1,226 schools lack libraries, which significantly restricts students’ access to necessary educational materials.
Locals and education activists have harshly criticised these official figures, claiming that government schools in the area are being neglected on a systemic level. “When students lack even the most basic amenities, like clean water and electricity, how can we expect high-quality education? The disclosures have heightened demands for prompt government action to close the infrastructure gaps and guarantee all Kupwara students fair access to education,” says Majid Shabir, a resident of the area and a University of Kashmir master’s student—(KNO)
